Mass spectacle

The sporting state of Styria comes alive

The Green Margraviate is a land of sport: whether soccer, skiing or Formula 1, the people of Styria are thrilled by numerous major events. In their new book, two historians show that sport is also a huge economic factor and that athletes' addiction to fame and glory can be traced back to ancient times.

Sport moves the masses! The phenomenon was impressively demonstrated on May Day: thousands of Styrians made the pilgrimage to Klagenfurt to experience the cup final up close and cheer on Sturm Graz. The fact that GAK is about to make its comeback in the Bundesliga is also fueling soccer fever in Graz. Not to mention the European Championship, which is already just around the corner.